JIS Services

A sum of $2 million has been set aside in the 2004/05 Estimates of Expenditure tabled in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (March 31) for the Quarry Zoning project in the Ministry of Land and Environment.
This will further assist with the objective of the project, which seeks to regulate and control the quarrying of sand, limestone and aggregate in order to avoid unlawful destruction of the environment. The funds will continue the work being done to establish quarry zones near developing centres and townships in order to provide building and construction material.
In addition, $1million has been allocated to the Metallic Minerals Exploration project, which provides geological information, which is critical to the promotion of investments in non-bauxite metallic minerals and to support diversification of the mineral sector.
Meanwhile, $1 million has been allocated to the Non-Metallic Minerals Exploration project, which is responsible for determining the commercial viability locally and overseas of different types of limestone and other non-metallic minerals. The main objectives of this project are: to identify and evaluate economic deposits of industrial minerals; assist investors in preliminary geological evaluation, sampling, analysis and definition of mineral reserves; and to prepare a quarry development plan.
Another $1million has also been set aside for the Geological and Geotechnical Assessments project which undertakes national landslide and seismic hazard mapping in volatile areas islandwide and provide advice for a national disaster management plan. The project is also responsible for other national development plans involving road construction and other engineering projects.